Roaring River

Roaring River has to be one of my favorite spots that I have visited during my stays in Jamaica. Absolutely gorgeous, clean water flows from the hills to irrigate the sugar cane on a plot of land that was once home to a slave plantation. The caves on the piece of land are filled with stories and must-see rock formations, all of which can be pointed out by one of the local tour guides.

I feel as though I’ll say this many times, however this was one of the experiences that many of our students realized how special and wonderful the opportunity to participate in this program is. Each and every student was wowed by the “bottomless” swimming hole (said to be about 250 feet deep in actuality), the healing mineral springs rushing from rocks, and the beauty of the stalactites and stalagmites creating echoing caverns and tiny tunnels.

While I’ve known the majority of students for at semester at the least, it never ceases to amaze me how quickly a wonderful and unique experience can bring people together. Discussions and conversations I’ve had with different students have been enlightening and exciting. Although many of the students came for a variety of different reasons, they are all experiencing the same fantastic result.

School time

Each morning, “Mom” (which we have taken to calling our housemother after she deemed us her daughters) took us to school. The 21 SRU students split up between the Coke’s View Primary School (grades 1 through 6), the Whithorn Early Childhood Insitution (ECI – age 3 through 5), the Water Works ECI, and the Galloway ECI.  I spent each day at Coke’s View working with Grade 5. Each morning started with devotion – the entire school (about 215 children) stood outside and recited the Jamaican national pledge, the national anthem, and read a passage from the bible.

Grade 5 was a unique and challenging experience. Their regular teacher is currently on maternity leave, and no substitute has been hired yet. For the past week and a half, one of the students’ mothers had supervised the group and the principal supervised when she was unavailable. Corey, Oliver, and I stayed with this group all week, and we had one or two people come in and out throughout the days.

After our first look at the class, we were stunned. The school itself is made of two separate buildings and the classrooms within it are separated by partitions that don’t reach to the ceiling.  So while listening to fifth grade math, you can also hear sixth grade geography and fourth grade social studies in the next two rooms. Similar to the rest of the classes, Grade 5 had 40 students.

The classrooms are broken up into two groups of students, those who perform better in school, and those who are struggling. Many of the SRU students were surprised by this method – especially as it seemed to create double the work for the teacher.

Day one in the school was wild. Grade 5 was considered the “bad” class, and as they had no permanent teacher currently, it made it even more difficult. We struggled to not only come up with enough material to teach to both the higher and lower performing students, but at the same time monitor which kids left for the bathroom, answer all the students yelling, “Teacher! Teacher!”, and break up arguments or fights that oftentimes ended in the kids punching each other. We were exhausted, overwhelmed, and confused.

The evening of day one we spent learning about the culture of Jamaica and debriefing on our days experiences. After each of the students had their fill in asking about everything from reggae to politics in Jamaica, the 22 of us sat down and talked about our days. Why are we here? What impact are we making? What are your personal goals for the program? – These were some of the many topics discussed. Once we hashed through how and why the education system is so different in the United States and in Jamaica, students started to get a handle on the issues that arise when there are limited resources for schools to work with. The results of this? Larger class size, fewer books, fewer supplies, less staff in the schools (no nurse, phys ed teacher, vice principle, etc..), and many other things. What impacts do these have on the performance rate in schools? What about the aspirations of kids who are pigeonholed as “slower” or “lower performing” – the questions kept flowing. Mr. Brown came in at the end of the discussion and reiterated many of the points we were discussing.

The SRU students left that evening feeling again reenergized, with renewed purpose and understanding of the larger picture. It’s not just about donating some pencils or helping a child with a math problem – its also about playing a game at recess, showing individualized attention, sharing stories about America and hearing many about Jamaica. It is about the long term exposure of the outside world in these small schools, and the impact that has on both the Americans that are visiting and the children they interact with. 

Homestays and Galloway

Within a day or so, our students fully adjusted to island time. While there were a few concerns regarding what our schedule looked like for the following days, most were happy to go with the flow and used Amizade’s “Okay, good” philosophy.

 

We are being housed with different house mothers in Galloway. Michelle and I are with Mrs. Kasantaroeno, the principal at Coke’s View Primary School in Galloway. Other groups stayed with Mrs. White, Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Palmer, and Mrs. Fenton. All seven of our male participants were at Mrs. Fenton’s – who they swore was the “best” house mother (mainly due to their competitive nature) and soon had nicknamed their home as the frat house.

 

Mrs. Kasantaroeno made our stay very, very comfortable and was too nice, as the AOC house mothers tend to be. We’ve eaten Jamaica’s national dishe of Ackee and Saltfish, we’ve eaten Curry Goat, Jerk Chicken, and many other delicious dishes. Each morning and evening, what we ate for the previous meal is always a hot topic amongst the SRU students.

More to come....

Jamaica round 1

And now I’m off – on a another plane this time across the Caribbean, to the familiar town of Petersfield, Jamaica. Having visited Petersfield for 5 days this previous May, it felt strangely like going home as we drove across the country from Kingston to the western parish of Westmoreland.

 

This time we had a new group of students – 21 to be exact, each of whom are studying at Slippery Rock University. In addition, Dr. Bruce Orvis, professor of business marketing, served as our advisor.

 

Our entrance into the community center in Petersfield is one that I will not soon forget – the local Gerreh band played down the street as we all marched in parade like fashion to the center for our first Jamaican dinner.

 

Our partner in Petersfield is the Association of Clubs, an umbrella organization for seven different clubs in the region focusing on developing the community in a variety of ways. Petersfield and the neighboring town of Galloway host students year round to participate in village tourism – or what we at Slippery Rock call a Care Break. Students from Roger Williams University in Rhode Island are also in the area this week, however they are focusing on issues in autism in Western Jamaica. They stayed with house mothers in Petersfield and the SRU students were housed in Galloway.

 

As we proceeded to our first taste of Jamaica the day of our arrival, we learned that this evening marked the Launch of the 2013 Annual Village Tourism Week – a new event that will celebrate Village Tourism and look forward to its successes and challenges in the future. The Principle of Petersfield High Schoool, the President of the local Chamber of Commerce, the Counselor, and the Honorable Mayor were present, among other distinguished guests. These stakeholders were positioned at the head table, while the rest of the center was packed full of 21 Slippery Rock students, 14 Roger Williams Students, and many, many community members.

 

We ate a delicious dinner that was followed by a program. Each of the distinguished guests spoke regarding the importance of Village Tourism and of Petersfield’s successes in this area. The professor from Roger Williams was asked to speak as was I, during which I thanked each person and organization who was able to make Village Tourism happen. While not nearly as long winded as many of the other guests, I believe that I made my appreciation clear.

This evening was certainly the first taste of culture shock for the participants from Slippery Rock University. They handled it very well – many were asking “Where did our luggage go?”, “What time are we going to our house mother’s?”, and “What are we doing tomorrow?” – and after many “I’m sorry, I’m not sure yet”-s from me, they were happily enjoying themselves, not caring what time it may be.

Matelot

Why Matelot? Is what many people may be wondering. What is the draw to this area? Why do residents think this could be a tourist destination?

 

I’ve spoken of the beauty of the area. Of the kind, generous, welcoming people. Of the fruits, nuts, trees, and other natural features that make Matelot so unique. However, the draw I find when thinking of people visiting in the future, is that the members of the community want to share everything – their homes, their culture, their food, their friendship – and every other aspect of life in Matelot. Each person we worked with met us with enthusiasm, sharing stories, legends, history, knowledge, and current day happenings in the town. They know that there is something special going on in Matelot, Trinidad, and they are determined to share it.

Teary goodbyes

As with all good things, the end of our week in Matelot brought happiness and sadness and many other emotions. In celebration of our visit, the wonderful women of the Dorca’s group threw a going away party in the community center on our last evening.

 

It was packed – I counted about 50 men, women, and children in the community center that evening. The Dorca’s had set up a table just for the nine of us (as always, they are too good to us) at the front of the room and welcomed us with dinner and many thanks. It seemed as though the entire town was fed that evening – the delicious cooking of Debbie, one of the women, fed countless people as we enjoyed the performances that had been prepared for the evening. A group of high schools students performed a traditional drumming and dance song that was followed by a drum solo. The students wowed us with their passionate performances – and the after diner show did not disappoint either.

 

The local Parang Group played songs as residents and visitors alike joined in singing and dancing – the purest form of entertainment. The Parang group has a keyboard, ukulele, guitar, and maracas – they typically travel from house to house during the Christmas season – sort of a reggae version of caroling.

 

The night ended in many sad goodbyes and promises of future visits. In addition to leaving us with warm wishes and many hugs, the women made hand crafted gifts for each of our nine participants. Overwhelmed by their generosity, we could do little other than continue to express our thanks for their kind and welcoming nature.

Cooking class

As if I couldn’t rave about the food any more, the last day  we spent in Matelot we learned how to make the traditional Trinidadian party food of Mango Chutney and Polore. Sweet with a little kick, the mango chutney is typically eaten with the dumpling-like polore.

 

Each of us had a chance to try steps in preparing the traditional dish – from grating mango to cutting cilantro to frying dumplings. The results were delicious. To try your own:

 

Mango Chutney and Polore:

 

Mango Chutney

1.      Peel 6 mangoes – preferably still green and not yet ripe

2.      Grate the mangoes using the fine side of a grater

3.      Mince 3 or 4 leaves of fresh cilantro and add to mango

4.      Grate 3 or 4 cloves of garlic into mango/cilantro mixture

5.      Add a pinch of salt and sugar to taste (sugar reduces acid in the mango)

 

Polore:

1.      Start with about 4 cups of flour and add a pinch of salt

2.      Add about 3 tbsp of saffron and 3 or 4 leaves of cilantro (minced)

3.      Add enough yeast to rise (about one quarter cup)

4.      Add about a cup of warm water and mix with hands

5.      Add water and mix until well blended and sticky (batter should be yellow-ish)

6.      Bring about 2 cups of oil to boil

7.      Drop balls of batter into hot oil (about 1-1/2 inch diameter)

8.      After they float for two minutes, remove from oil

                                                                                          

Serve Mango Chutney and Polore as an appetizer or party food. It is a finger food – use the dumpling to pick up the Chutney to eat.

Cultural activities

We had the pleasure of working with some very talented Matelot natives in exploring the local culture. Michelle, one of the founding members of the Dorca’s spent an afternoon demonstrating head wraps and dress wraps using a Parea, which is a piece of cloth that can be made of a variety of fabrics with different patterns that can be tied or pinned to create head wraps, dresses, skirts, shirts and other articles of clothing.

 

In addition to learning how to do the wraps and being able to practice them on each other, Michelle taught us about the different occasions in which you may wear the Parea in different ways. I was very eager to try the wraps, and with some help made each of the articles we were shown. We loved this activity! Tesin and Rosie got to be models, as well as Arlene, one of the other Dorca’s members. By the end, even the boys got into it, trying to create new head wraps and make-shift articles.

 

Another afternoon cultural activity that we participate in was net mending. In our first visit to the fishing wharf on Matelot, we walked through the typical afternoon rain showers to meet Raymond. Raymond is a local fisherman. He spends his days in the small-ish fishing wharf that is perched on the coast, facing a small rocky island only yards from the coast. The air was salty and fishy – local fisherman were tying up small boats and spending the afternoon visiting in this area they call home.

 

As nets are the primary means for catching fish off the coast of Matelot, net mending is a  valuable and practical skill. Raymond taught us how to mend small tears and holes as well as how to patch holes that may be a few square feet. We caught on slowly at first, but soon nearly all of us were wielding the plastic needle-like devise used to thread the replacement netting in and out of the torn areas. We learned how to know and tie off the strings as well as the importance of nimble fingers in this craft.

 

Raymond was a wonderful, generous man. Although we struggled with learning the ties and knots, he persisted that we were able to learn. He went above and beyond his required class time because in his words, “I want to teach them, it is my gift to them”.

The hike of a lifetime

Each of us has hiked before so with no hesitation, we eagerly agreed to a hike to the local waterfall. We knew that the rainy season had made the way quite muddy, but we had our tennis shoes and jeans on, ready to rock.

 

We had two men as our guides – Quacy and Peter. Both wonderful residents of the area and fathers of youngsters who we spent some time with throughout the week. Kareem and Collin came along as well – two teens from the town whom we became friends with.

 

They say the hike was about two miles, however the trek took us close to two hours, each way. The trail itself is overgrown and narrow at parts, but lends itself to the most beautiful up-close-and-personal view of the jungle you could ask for. At one point Kareem climbed a twiggy Cocoa Orange tree. From about 25 feet above the ground, he shook the branches so that we could pick up the delicious fruit for a snack. Many small creeks and drainage areas from the mountain crossed our path along the way, creating some muddy situation and several slips and falls. With the help of Peter and Quacy, we mastered everything from climbing muddy embankments to the proper technique for sliding down a steep hillside on your bottom.

 

We had an incredible amount of fun. Dirty, sweaty, and quite tired, we were ready for a swim when we got to the waterfall. A pool about 15 feet deep surrounded the base of the 12 foot falls, giving us a nice cool place to bathe after the hike. The rock on the sides of the falls is shaped in such a way that it resembles steps, allowing those of us who wishing to jump into the water an easy way to access it. Once on top the falls, another world of pools and falls opened up. Rosie, Josh, Michael, Kareem and I pressed on further up the river with the guidance of Peter. We stopped only when a new set of falls that we faced were impossible to climb – not that it stopped each of the boys from trying to swim against the unforgiving current.

 

While the waterfall and the hike were special, wonderful, and the purest form of a natural beauty, this isn’t what made this hike so special. It was the bonding between group members that can only form when you hold hands and slide down a hillside together. It was the encouragement each of us offered to the members of our group who would have otherwise shied away from swimming in the pool or jumping from the waterfall. And most importantly, it was the kindness of Peter and Quacy, who took their weekday afternoon to not only show us the path, but teach us, help us, and encourage us to take advantage of every opportunity in the way that we did. During this afternoon, we added two more to the list of those in Matelot whose kindness and generosity are overwhelming.

Our main instructor in the field of fruits, nuts, and other vegetation was Mr. Jose. Mr. Jose is a Matelot native who lives on the back road of the community. Matelot is basically situated on two hills – the main road runs up and down these hills and the two additional roads circle around the outside, one on the coast and the other up on a ridge in the back. Mr. Jose lived on the ridge.

 

Mr. Jose is an older man, and exactly what you may expect of a Trinidadian living in the remote jungle. When we met him, he wore a government issued military-green jumpsuit with wading boots and a sheath on his belt for a machete.

 

His estate however was situated about two miles into the jungle. He owns 10 acres on which he has built a small structure with benches, a cooking area, and a sleeping area with a roof over the whole thing. He and his sons utilize the estate at least once every other day, and hope it can become a tourist destination in the future.

 

It is no mystery why this area attracted us and will certainly attract more in the future. The plot surrounding the structure is dense with king orange trees, portugals (a sort of different kind of orange), cocoa trees, coffee trees, nutmeg trees, coconut trees, and many more. In our short afternoon visit, Mr. Jose showed us each of the trees as well as other vegetation and described how it grows, what Trinidadian’s do with certain food items, and fielded the many, many questions we had. In the same afternoon, I drank from a coconut, sucked on cocoa beans, ate coconut jelly, ate an orange that had been peeled by a machete, and tasted the freshest coffee that anyone in the world can taste.

 

Each of us left the estate that day in awe – partially at the beautiful foliage and delicious fruits, partially at Mr. Jose and his hospitality, and most definitely at the resourcefulness of the wonderful residents of Matelot.

The nature of Trinidad

It is the rainy season in Trinidad  -- a time that runs from about February to September or October. This means it rains nearly every day, typically a late morning or afternoon shower that appears from the sunshine nearly as fast as it disappears a few minutes later. It has kept the temperature cool and brings down the humidity every once in a while. The rainy season also mean the ocean is very rough. Unfortunately this did not allow us from boating to Madamos Beach during the week, but in its stead we’ll be walking to the waterfall up the river.

Interestingly enough, I’ve seen much less wildlife than I was expecting. There are quite a few insects (the mosquitos love our legs) but very little in the form of wild animals. After a few days of pondering how a "deer" (by our standards) could be traveling through the mountainous jungle, we found out that a deer to them is what we would call a goat. It is quite often that we see birds flying about and dogs roaming the street, but we have yet to see anything in the jungle, especially the coveted sight of a monkey. One dog in particular likes to relax on the guest house door step – he goes by Henry, among other names.

One of the most wonderful experiences throughout the week is seeing and learning about the sheer number of fruit, nut, and spice trees that naturally grow in and around the town. I had at least three different kinds of oranges (Cocoa Orange, King Orange, Portugal, etc...), a Mammy Apple, a Pomerac, Mangoes galore, and countless others. 

The Dorca's Women's Group and things

The Dorca’s Women’s Group was established about four years ago by Beulah, Michelle, and another woman in the village. “How much housekeeping can one do?”, Miss Beulah said to me in explaining the idea for the group. The three passionate women wanted something for the female population of Matelot to do outside of their day to day duties and together they formed the Dorca’s Group – with the simple motto ‘Teach. Travel. Turn’, referring to teaching the bible to each other, traveling and seeing areas outside of Matelot together, and for turning a new leaf in their lives.

The group owns the plot of land that is the Dorca’s Park. Its ocean front view consists of a grove of almond trees and cedar trees. The gorgeous area has a camp house for the women and other groups, a few fire pits with benches and make shift tree stump seats, and some old swingsets. There is a small waterfall on the one side opening up to a small pool for bathing. Unfortunately, the water from the waterfall is often known to flood the majority of the park as it did during our visit, rendering a lot of the land unusable.

The Dorca’s Group has big dreams, for the park and otherwise. In my dicussions with the different members, they each see Matelot as a site for ecotourism in the future, however the money just isn’t there. Without the buy in from the government to resurface the roads, creating easier access, little money is useful in attracting tourists to the area. In the spirit of doing what can be done when it can be done, the women are currently interested in making the park more attractive and useful – and this is where we come in. Jon is majoring in Landscape Architecture at WVU and took on the project with zeal and with knowledge that none of us could bring. In just two days, he created a long term plan for the restructuring of the park in order to enhance its beauty and utilize its full potential. Apart from aiding him, the rest of us proceeded with doable tasks such as preparing rocks for a drainage system and clearing the pathways and entrance points.   The women were pleased! The groundwork is beginning to be set for programs in the future.